Electrical power enters a building, such as a residence, through a metering device. The metering device is used to determine how much electricity has been consumed in the building for billing purposes, for example. The metering device includes a meter, such as watt-hour meter, having outwardly extending stabs or blades that are removably connected to a meter socket having jaws for receiving the blades. The meter socket may be connected to a main circuit breaker via conductors and a base pan assembly. The main circuit breaker serves to connect or disconnect electrical power to the building.
Referring to FIG. 1A, a metering device such as a watt-hour meter 10 is shown attached to a meter socket 12. The meter socket 12 includes an enclosure 15 having a front panel 17 that includes an opening for receiving the meter 10. The enclosure 15 may be attached to an outside wall of a building, for example.
Referring to FIG. 1B, the meter socket 12 is shown with the front panel 17 removed to depict an interior 14 of the enclosure 15. Line side conductors for supplying electrical power from a power distribution system to the building may enter the enclosure 15 through a top opening 18. Load side conductors may exit the enclosure 15 through lower openings 19. The meter socket 12 may include horn bypass tabs 16. In use, jumpers are attached to the bypass tabs 16 in order to provide uninterrupted electrical service to a building when the meter 10 is removed from the meter socket 12 to perform maintenance work, for example. The meter socket 12 may also include a shield 20 for shielding components and a meter seat wireform support 22.
Referring to FIG. 1C, the meter socket 12 is shown with the shield 20 removed. The meter socket 12 includes left 24 and right 26 meter socket block assemblies and a neutral lug 25 having upper 31 and lower 33 terminals. Each upper jaw 28 is connected to a corresponding line side conductor and the upper terminal 31 is connected to a line side neutral conductor. Each lower jaw 29 is connected to a corresponding load side conductor and the lower terminal 33 is connected to a load side neutral conductor. The upper 28 and lower 29 jaws are configured to receive blades that extend from a back surface of the meter 10. The right meter socket block assembly 26 also includes a jaw stand 30 oriented at a 45° angle. The 45° jaw stand 30 is used to rest an idling watt-hour meter 10 that is out of service. In particular, the left 24 and right 26 meter socket block assemblies are configured such that when a meter blade is inserted in the 45° jaw stand 30, the remaining meter blades are disengaged. The left meter socket block assembly 24 may also include an optional jaw known as a 5th jaw 32 used in conjunction with electrical systems using a three phase “Y” transformer. In particular, the 5th jaw 32 is connected to neutral to detect a voltage reference used to calculate electrical consumption.
In conventional meter sockets, an electrical connection between a jaw and lug becomes loose or deteriorates over time which may cause undesirable overheating, fire or other danger. Further, the assembly of conventional jaws and lugs requires several components that are relatively complex to manufacture and assemble, thus increasing costs. Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved jaw and lug configuration for a meter socket.